Helper’s High: Helping Others for Everyone’s Mental Health

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Helper’s High: Helping Others for Everyone’s Mental Health
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Video: Ways to Improve Your Life with Bipolar Disorder
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

Helper’s High: Helping Others for Everyone’s Mental Health

Have you heard of the helper’s high before? In essence, the helper’s high sums up how helping others is good for your mental health. Let me share an example of the helper’s high.

As of August, 2018, wildfires continue to ravage the state of California, causing great suffering and loss. A radio station reporting on the fires shared this story: Doctors, nurses, and staff at a hospital in northern California lived near each other in a community. The fire swept through the community, and people lost everything; some even lost their lives. Still, the next day, every single one of those doctors, nurses, and staff members showed up to work. Why? They had vowed to help their community survive, and the loss of their homes didn’t change that.

Allan Luks, a top expert on volunteerism, would likely point to this as an example of what he has dubbed the Helper’s High. After studying thousands of volunteers and the outcomes of their helping others, Luks concluded that helping and volunteering is good for us mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Reaching out in some way, even with something as seemingly small as a smile, increases our physical and mental health. It decreases stress, anxiety, depression, isolation, and loneliness. It fosters a sense of connection and togetherness, the realistic belief that we’re not alone in our misery.

Small connections lead to big results for both recipient and the giver. Everyone can experience the helper’s high because being a helper means doing something right where you are in a way that makes your heart sing.

Related Articles Dealing the Helper’s High and Volunteerism

• Getting Involved in the Mental Health Community Changed My Life
• How to Become a Suicide Hotline Volunteer
• How Volunteer Activities Build Self-esteem

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: In what ways has volunteering and helping others improved your mental health? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and experience on the HealthyPlace Facebook page and on the HealthyPlace Google+ page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Bipolar Disorder and Relationships: Am I Lovable?
• Using Your Strengths When You Feel Weak Improves Your Mood
• How Sleep Affects My Mental Health
• Going Back to the Basics of Binge Eating Recovery
• Fighting Money Stress in Bipolar Disorder -- 10 Tips
• Money Worries and Bipolar Disorder
• How to Cope with Obsessive Thoughts When You're Depressed
• The Dangers of Comparison: Who You Can Compare Yourself To
• Is Anxious the New Normal? Take Back Your Real Normal
• Cats Help Mental Health: How Getting a Cat Helped My Anxiety
• Dating Red Flags: Are You Dating An Abusive Person?

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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From HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

I'm Hannah. I Have Bipolar 2

Ways to Improve Your Life with Bipolar Disorder

It is unfortunate that many people living with bipolar disorder think a good or even decent life is unattainable. We hear about the ways our lives will be negatively affected by bipolar disorder but little about the ways to improve our lives. In this video, I share my own personal experience living with bipolar 2 disorder and some of the ways to improve your life. (Watch Hannah and subscribe to the HealthyPlace YouTube channel for more great mental health videos.)

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Are You in Love with Your Abuser? If So, There's a Reason
2. Coping with a New Bipolar II Diagnosis and What to Do Next
3. Keeping Medication Records for Mentally Ill Kids

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"I have this problems: I isolate myself, then become upset because I'm lonely."

Read more borderline quotes.

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